Teaching the Holocaust to Our Children

In order to understand who we are, our children need an authentic exploration of our past, including the Holocaust.

On the day of his death, Moses, the greatest teacher of the Jewish people, adjured us, "Remember the days of the world, understand the years of generation upon generation" (Deuteronomy 32:7).

We are instructed to teach our children about our heritage. We are admonished to remember and understand. We have a history that is rich, deep and definitive. It gives us and our children a sense of pride and identity, a sense of place in time, a connection to the past and a vision for the future.

We begin this education -- along with this sense of rootedness and purpose -- with the learning of Torah. One of the most powerful and unique aspects of Torah is its stark honesty. The flaws of our patriarchs and matriarchs are laid bare so that we can learn and grow from them. The mistakes of the Jewish people are a cautionary tale for their descendents. There is murder and adultery, aggression and war, persecution and hate. None of it is whitewashed. And we teach it all to our children, adjusting not the events but rather the language, solely in order to further understanding.

If God's Torah is unafraid and explicit, should we be more discriminating? An essential key to understanding ourselves and our nationhood is an authentic exploration of our past. This most certainly includes educating our children about the Holocaust which is a crucial piece of our modern history, our role in the world today and who we are as Jews.

While I do believe in sheltering my children from the 11 o'clock news, that nightly litany of rapes, murders and fires, I feel differently about important historical events and news items that are directly connected to my identity as a Jew. If terrorists strike Jews in Israel, God forbid, I want my children to know. I want them to experience the bittersweet pain of a people whose love for each other crosses international boundaries. I want them to understand the price we pay to be Jews in our homeland.

The survivors of the Holocaust are aging rapidly. Soon there will be no one left to tell their personal story, to show the numbers on their arms, And to explain what it meant to them. There are many reasons to expose our children to the reality of World War II. So they will understand anti-Semitism as a live doctrine, not an historical anachronism. So they will appreciate the forces that shaped the identities of their parents and grandparents, and of themselves. So they will hear the stories of physical defiance -- and of spiritual strength. So they will know of those who maintained their faith during those horrific times - and wonder what happened to their own. So they will explore their own Judaism and connection to the Jewish people more thoroughly.

Being Jewish is a gift. But how can this gift be fully appreciated without recognition of the price paid?

Will our Jewish heritage mean more to our children if they see how many people died solely because of their Jewish identity? Not necessarily. But it should give them pause. Why were we hated? Do we have something special that others want? If my great-grandparents were persecuted because of their Judaism, shouldn't I at least give it a second look? What depth of meaning and purpose is there that leads to such sacrifice?

Being Jewish is a gift. Being able to live a Jewish life is a gift. How can this gift be fully appreciated without recognition of the price paid?

Throughout history we have continually demonstrated our desire to die as the oppressed rather than adopt the heinous behavior of our oppressors. A friend of mine whose father was a survivor, commissioned a study of him and his peers. There was only one question asked (I'm paraphrasing), "If you had the opportunity to choose and experience the Holocaust all over again, would you rather be the vicious but powerful Nazi or the persecuted, humiliated, and targeted Jew?" They responded, "The Jew." They'd rather die with a high moral code than live by a lower one.

Anti-Semitism as expressed in the Holocaust is a significant component of our identity. We need it for compassion, for appreciation. Our identity, our understanding of ourselves, our history is incomplete without it. We rob our children of a piece of themselves when we "spare" them.

But it's only a piece. It's only with a sense of the joy and meaning available to us can we continue to live as Jews. Only with the vision and hope granted to us by the Almighty can we push past the pain. And only through passing these ideas on to our children can they see the Holocaust and anti-Semitism in some kind of context. With a sense of greater meaning, they can embrace their heritage and not run from it.

We do our children a disservice if we shield them from the reality of life as Jews, if we cut them of from the pain experience by their grandparents 60 years ago or by their peers in Israel today.

But we do them a deeper and more profound disservice if we paint a gloomy, depressed picture of Jewish life. Jewish life is filled with happiness and celebration - from the weekly rest of Shabbat, to the joyful feasting of Sukkot to the freedom of the Passover Seder. From the Bris to the Bar Mitzvah, to the wedding to the Bris. And if there's tremendous shared pain, the shared joy is even more powerful. That's the true gift of being Jewish. Joy and a relationship with the Creator of the world. That's what we really want our children to appreciate.

And through learning and understanding history, we also see God's hand in our lives, guiding us as individuals and as a nation, slowly leading us to the ultimate redemption. We see ourselves as part of a grand plan. We don't take our trivial difficulties as seriously and we have perspective on our role and the role of our people. We are connected to the importance of the Jewish people while simultaneously freed of the bonds of individual ego. We know our place.

Let's not be afraid to teach our kids about the bleakest moments of our history, as long as we also blind them with the light of our ongoing joy.

About the Author

Emuna Braverman has a law degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters in in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. She lives with her husband and nine children in Los Angeles where they both work for Aish HaTorah. When she isn''t writing for the Internet or taking care of her family, Emuna teaches classes on Judaism, organizes gourmet kosher cooking groups and hosts many Shabbos guests. She is the cofounder of www.gourmetkoshercooking.com.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 12

(12)
Anonymous,
March 31, 2015 8:54 PM

Gd and the Holocaust

May I also suggest: Don't avoid the question "Where was Gd?" The only answer that resonates with me personally is that Gd is not separate from us, not an independent "thing" that lets things happen or prevents them from happening. All people are part of Gd. Gd did not cause the Holocaust, or stand by during the Holocaust. Most of the part of Gd we call "people" did.

(11)
Sarah,
July 16, 2012 12:45 AM

Shoal as preview

The thought came to me that the Nazis goal was to create a world without HaShem, that is finishing the destruction of the earth, not the repair. In many places and for some time they were successful in giving mankind a preview of what the world would be like without HaShem. They tried to eradicate the people who have been in relationship with Him. It is not the Jews who are hated, but our G_d and our representation of Him that is hated. Thus it is very painful to see Jews turn from following the Torah, not raising their children to cherish the unique position they hold. And even more delightful to see the new generations embrace Torah and HaShem. May the lost ones be more than remembered, may their memorial be many Jewish children walking in total faithfulness with HaShem.

(10)
yerachmiel Avraham,
April 14, 2011 3:31 AM

It is most important that we share all of our history to our children... We can never allow the atrosities of the past to be repeated... I lost both of my parents in 1942 and have never gotten over being alone.

(9)
Anonymous,
August 14, 2005 12:00 AM

Teaching the holocaust to Jewish children:

I love this article! My father discovered a concentration camp during the war. He kept his story to himself for decades, then one day he cried in agony when he told me of the horrors that had been done to God's people, and for no reason. God bless you, Emuna Braverman. What you said about teaching Jewish children the history of the holocaust along with the joy of Jewish living is a beautiful way of instlling strength, courage, and integrity in their hearts. Thank you for this article! It was a blessing to me!

(8)
Merlock,
June 2, 2005 12:00 AM

Very True

A very good article. Thank you, and God bless.

(7)
Joan Pressman,
May 31, 2005 12:00 AM

This article I resonate strongly with. As a Museum Docent I teach school children and adults about the Holocaust. I am also a co-chair on our survivor/speakers bureau. Many times we have discussed the difficulty of how to reach our Jewish children. We have done many approaches, some successfully some not You certainly in this article gave me a lot more information and knowledge that I can work with. I have forwarded this article to all of our speakers as well. Thank you for all of your stories and your innate knack of reaching back in time and doing a story that is right for that time.

Joan Pressman

(6)
Anonymous,
May 25, 2005 12:00 AM

Thank you for this fine article. I would certainly agree that remembering the Holocaust is important. And there is one thing Emuna Braverman said that deserves to be emphasized: the antisemitism of the holocaust is one part of our identity as Jews. Of the major failures of "secular Judaism" today is the emphasis on remembering the tragedy, but not the glory of being Jewish.
At the risk of upsetting some, I sometimes feel disgusted when I hear of a new holocaust museum being built, for precisely the reason that now there will less money to invest in the future of the Jewish people. To preserve the past, we need to invest in the future, not build more museums.

(5)
Leah PettePiece,
May 24, 2005 12:00 AM

Daughter of a Survivor Honors You

I was thrilled to read your article. I was born on the deck of a relocation ship to a survivor of Auschwitz. I have written a book about my young life and the shadows of the world I was born into. I really love to see artivles from others who want their children to know about the Holocaust! I am sixty this year and my mother and my aunt, both survivors are already gone, we are becoming old, even those of us who are children. We carry the ashes in our very blood, we are different and our voice is growing faint, only those of you who care enough to continue to tell our stories will honor us when we are at last gone! Please never forget!!!!

(4)
Kip Gonzales,
May 23, 2005 12:00 AM

I´m not Jewish, but I want to teach about the Holocaust

I enjoyed your article, and agree with you. Our children, whether Jewish or not, need to know the whole truth about what led up to and happened in the Shoah. I´m not Jewish, but I love Israel and the Jewish people, and stand by their side. I have studied about the Holocaust since 1967, and I wish I had an "outlet" to teach about it. I even live in Germany, where the need is especially great; the only thing is, to try to convince education administrators that this is so. Maybe I could start my own tour business, where I conduct tours to former concentration camp sites. Many Germans are sick of hearing about (or having their noses rubbed in) the Holocaust. Not so with many school pupils and students. Most Christians here are very pro-Israel, and perhaps they would be interested.
I admire what you´re doing, and agree.
Am Yisrael Chaí!
Kip Gonzales

(3)
-Anonymous,
May 23, 2005 12:00 AM

This helped me on my report!

Hi, I happen to have signed up for Aish.com and i find all these cool articles on things I either wanted to know about or needed to know about! Anyway I'd like to say thanx for helping me with my homework this article on the hoocaust really is truly a life saver.

(2)
Dr. ILANI,
May 23, 2005 12:00 AM

But You've Missed The Main Lesson of the Shoah!

Yes, by all means teach your children, all of our children, about the persecution and tragedy of the Shoah, give them the antennae to perceive Jew-Hatred in all forms, but also give them the greatest lesson bestowed on us by HaShem. After 2,000 years, Jews fought back! We fought the Germans with every weapon imaginable, in every circumstance in which we were placed. Jews fought for their heritage, for their families, for their lives, with a courage and bravery unmatched by others.
`
This Jewish fighting spirit was directly responsible for the creation of Israel. This is the lesson of the Shoah. Jews can and did fight back; they did not walk like lambs to the slaughter. Today, Jews must fight against injustice, must fight for what is ours, and b'ezrat HaShem, if we do, the Jewish Nation will thrive in its ancient homelands once again.
-- Rosa Robota Foundation, Inc.

(1)
chana ester,
May 22, 2005 12:00 AM

Our children need to know the truth as early as possible

My father, A"H, was a Holocaust survivor. I grew up with the knowledge that my grandparents & uncle as well as all of my father's uncles & aunts were butchered. I grew up with the stories my father told me on how he survived during the war. I grew up seeing numbers tatooed on my father's relatives & best friends. Nothing bad happened to me, on the contrary. I developed a deep interest with the Holocaust. A few years ago, I wanted to put on a play for a boy's camp for Tisha B'Av on the Holocaust. The ages were from 7 years old & up. I was forced to prohibit the younger bunks from seeing the play, because it would be too hard on the boys. I countered that we teach our children at a young age about the Churban Bais HaMikdosh (the destruction of the Holy Temples) & the grow up knowing about what is going on in Israel & the suicide bombers. I believe that the Holocaust can be taught to young children in a way that they can understand it. I have done so with my own children, telling that that there were the "bad" guys (the Nazis) & the "good" guys (the Jews), etc. Anything in our history should not be hidden to our children.

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!